1. Field of the Invention
The invention is related to modification of a gel casting module and an electrode module for electrophoresis applied to biological tests, and especially to offering a kind of simple and accurate gel casting module and an electrode module.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In biotech research field, the electrophoresis for separating/analysis of DNA, RNA and protein molecules, the advanced preparation procedures must have the two lateral sides and the bottoms of two mutually lapped flat plates tightly sealed, liquid gel solution is poured from an upper opening of a gap formed between the two flat plates, and a comb is placed in the opening, a gel plate sandwich containing the gel thus can be formed after gel is cured and solid gel is formed, then the comb is removed, and thus the pre-running gel forming procedure of the electrophoresis is completed.
After the gel forming procedure, the gel plate sandwich containing the two flat plates, spacers and the gel are correctly positioned in an electrophoresis tank, and then running buffer solution is poured in to the electrophoresis tank; after target samples to be separated/analyzed is loaded onto the gel on the gel plate sandwich, an electrode is connected to start the electrophoresis.
Thereby, in a practical electrophoresis device, a gel casting module must be used to fix and seal the surroundings of the flat plates and the spacers, and temporarily seal the bottom opening of the sandwich for gel solution loading and solidifying, and for shaping and smoothly completing fabrication of the gel plate sandwich. Further, before the gel plate sandwich is placed in the electrophoresis tank, it must be fixed on an electrode module, in order that it can be placed in the electrophoresis tank through the electrode module, and can be connected with the electrode module.
For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,626,735 and 6,162,342 disclosed related structures of electrode modules for helping to press fix flat plates and spacers; wherein the U.S. Pat. No. 5,626,735 disclosed a conventional tool structure using screws to fix flat plates; such a tool must make the screws keep on rotating to reach a predetermined depth during using to surely press fix the flat plates, thereby it is relatively inconvenient for use, and the fabrication of the gel plate sandwich is slower.
While the U.S. Pat. No. 6,162,342 disclosed a gel casting module that takes advantage of bias moving of two rotary plates on two lateral sides thereof to press rearwards from the front on the two lateral sides of flat plates, and an upper inverse “T” shaped pressing plate is used to press down the flat plates; in practical using of such type of gel casting module, the rotary plates are not pressed rearwards from the front beneath the flat plates, thereby they has inferior capability of pressing on the flat plates, and the pressing function against the opening beneath the flat plates is also harder to be attained with clasps pushed by springs.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,632,877 and 6,110,340 disclosed structures of electrode modules for helping to fixedly connect a gel plate sandwich in an electrophoresis device; wherein the U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,877 disclosed an electrode module for putting a gel plate sandwich on a positioning caster, and then the positioning caster is placed in a fixing seat, the gel plate sandwich is fixed by rotating inwards of rotary plates on the two lateral sides of the fixing seat, at last, the gel plate sandwich, the positioning caster and the fixing seat are together put into a structures of an electrode module in an electrophoresis tank.
As to the U.S. Pat. No. 6,110,340, it disclosed an electrode module for which “U” shaped clamping members able to be pivoted inwards are provided on the two lateral sides of an electrophoresis device, and for which a sealing strip adapted to pivoting upwards are provided on the bottom of the device, when flat plates are placed in the electrophoresis device, after the clamping members pivot inwards to press on the gel plate sandwich, by engaging of two engaging hooks provided on the two lateral sides of the sealing strip into recesses of the clamping members, the gel plate sandwich is clamped tight.
However, although the above stated two conventional electrode modules for fixing and connecting a gel plate sandwich can get the object of fixing the gel plate sandwich, the modes of operation of tools used in fabrication of the gel plate sandwich are completely different; under the condition of using tools to fabricate the gel plate sandwich by different modes of operation, operation of the entire electrophoresis device becomes complicated and cumbersome, this is extremely subjected to influencing the accuracy of separating and analysis because of being not familiar with the methods of operation of related tools.